Richmond planet. [volume], July 23, 1898, Image 1

About Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938

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VOL. XV. NO 3-2
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, SATURDAY, JTJLV 23. 1898
PRICE. 5 CENTS
awhiteladyj
The Utterances
American
BARBAROUS
The Administration And
Goniict Lease Sys
THE CUBAN HORRORS .
COUNTRY.?NAUSEA
The Exposure Of The Crue
Strong Plea Foi
Mr. Mitchell.
Dear Sir:?In looking over the last
number of the Planet I waa much inter
ested in what I read on one of itt pages.
The extracts from the Cuvelasi
Gabettb express my opinion exact
17.
''The closer tbe north and south get
as a result of the war the harder it will
be for the Afro-American." I have
watched the progress of the war very
carefully and have not failed to see
that the "union of the two sections will
be at the expense of the colored broth?
er." I have shuddered when I thought
of what the end would be. But then,
God reigns.
MB. BOBTUNB's REM AUK ABLE ASSERTION.
I wish I could feel that Mr. Fortune
was wrong when he said that President
McKinley had established "a dead line
beyond which an Afro-American can?
not go into the volunteer army," but it
is just as I expected. How could it be
otherwise when the President's right
hand man and confidential advisor
was so long accustomed to looking up?
on colored men in shackles con Hued in
his chain-gang ?
MR. PLATT AND THE CONVICTS.
Perhaps it is not generally under?
stood that this man and Thomas C.
Platt of New York, both leading Re?
publicans, were for years lessees of
convicts, most of whom were colored
men. Papers stated fjiat they made
$100,000 a year from the labor of the
convicts in Tennessee. They paid the
state 9101,000 for their labor. The
death rate among these convicts was
Dimply appalling ; and their sufferings
have been described by abler pens than
mine.
I leave these things all with Him be?
fore whom not a sparrow falls without
His notice. "The Negro must be kept
down," ia heard in the camp, and es?
pecially is it heard and the principle car
ried out in our courts of justice.
BISHOP TURNER'S UTTERANCES.
In another column you quote what
Bishop Turner says. (God bless Bis?
hop Turner for bis boldness.) "Enough
men have been lynched to death to
reach a mile high if laid one upon the
other, and enough women and children
ao form the head and foot slab, if they
could be arranged to stand upon the
head of each other."
Alas I Alas! would to God that this
could tell the whole story. But it is
only in comparison as a drap of water
to the bucketful, when compared
to the great multitude that have drag?
ged out a wretched existence in jails
and convict camps, and whose bodies
fill unknown graves or, as is done in
Georgia, taken to the dissecting table.
AN OUTRAGEOUS SYSTEM.
Nothing but the "middle passage"
has ever proved such destruction to
ths colored race this side of the Afri?
can coa st, as the convict-lease sj stem
in the Southern States. A pen picture
of its horrors would rival that given of
the Spaniards in Cuba, or the Turks in
Turkey, or the Russians in Siberia.
Let us look at Mississippi where Negro
convicts have bees flogged to death.
In three years three hundred and six?
ty-seven convicts died ant ot an aver?
age number of a little over seven hun?
dred?over one-half. Nearly every one
was colored.
A FEARFUL DEATH RATS.
The death rate among the colored
convicts waa more than double that of
the whites, which showed worse treat?
ment I will give a few instances to
show how some of them died. "They
whipped one man who was in a dying
IPEAKS BOLDLY
Of Three Afro
Leaders.
TREATMENT.
I The RaceQuestion.-The
tem And Lynching.
\ND PRACTICES IN THIS
.TING FACTS CITED.
lties?Mrs. Keeler Makes A
r The Sufferers.
condition with a barrel stave He was
carried back to the cage and there died
in fifteen minutes." Another sick man
was flogged who sat down and fell for?
ward dead. Some went barefooted in
winter and frosted their feet. "One
died of a sore leg with maggots in it."
THIRTT-ONB "dIBAPPSABJCD."
The number of deaths give" in offici?
al reports do not include the large num
ber who went out to die?either were
pardoned out because they were sick
and unable to work, escaped or were
discharged. During two years thirty
one convicts mysteriously disappeared,
or were not accounted for. They were
not reported as having died, escaped,
or among the living. One might hope
rht-y were translated as Enoch was.
This class of convicts is termed state
convints. Then there is another class
termed misdemeanor or county con?
victs. The condition of the latter ia
pitiable in the extreme.
THAT OTHBR SYSTEM.
A few years ago tbe state adopted
another system for her state convicts;
but I cannot help thinking the man
was right who wrote to me concerning
it. "Don't be fooled, it is the same old
system practically, only under another
name," Before, the profits of convict
labor were divided between the lessees
and the state; now the state receives
the largest share of the profits.
It is said that there is "considerably
more criminality among the Negroes
than among the whites," and that
"freedom has not done the Negro much
good." When we look at the large
number serving long sentences in the
southern chain-gangs, it would seem
as if such assertions might have some
shadow of truth.
HOSTLY COLORED FOLKS PUNISHED.
In Georgia where the white popula?
tion exceeds that of the oolored. the
latter furnish nine-tenths of tbe crimi?
nals. Official reports show that Georg?
ia alone has nearly four thousand, two
hundred criminals, nearly all of whom
are young, able-bodied colored men.
including one hundred and forty boya
sixteen years old and younger. The
labor of all these convicts is hired out
to the highest bidders, who care noth?
ing more for them than the money that
can be coined out of their flesh and
blood.
THOSB HUMAN LEECHES.
It is not my purpose in this short ar?
ticle to show what the treatment of
Georgia's convicts is now, and has bean
ever since they fell into the hands of
these human leeches, the lessees, who
have not only worked and starved ma?
ny to death, but they or their guards
hava flogged men until death relieved
them of their sufferings.
Scarcely a year has passed since one
Frank McKay, an old Negro, guilty on?
ly of a misdemeanor, was flogged to
death by an inhuman white guard
named Bob Gannon The same guard
who compelled female convicts confin?
ed in that same camp to strip naked in
the presence of the male convicts and
be flagged.
THE INNOCENT WITH THE QUILTY.
After many years of careful investi?
gation I have found that many of these
convicts both in the penitentiary chain
gangs and the misdemeanor, or what
is termed county chain-gangs, are in?
nocent. I will give an instance to
show something of how a confession
has been sometimes extorted, and
which was related by a responsible
party. A poor penniless Negro was
arrested on suspicion of having com?
mitted a murder. After being kept in
jail a long time a confession was ex?
torted from him "by blood hounds, and
in the presence of a grave and a coffin,
prepared by those who were pecuniari
mmmWi'111
MAJOR GENERAL WILLIAM R SHAFTER.
Major General W. R. Shafter, who has begun the conquest of Cuba at Santiago, is a big man physically and men?
tally. He first entered tho military service on tho 21st of August, 1861, when he was mustered into the volunteers as
first lieutenant of tho Seventh Michigan infantry, being honorably mustered out just a year later. He at once re-en?
tered the servico as major of the Nineteenth Michigan, becoming lieutenant colonel in 1663 and colonel of the Seven?
teenth United States colored infantry April 10, 1864. He was commissioned a brevet brigadier general of volunteers
on March 13, 1865, for gallant and meritorious services during the war and was also brevetted colonel in the regular
lavrmy March 2, 1867, for gallantry at tho battle of Fair Oaks, Virginia. In July, 1866, while still in the volunteer
'sorvioe, General Shafter was made lieutenant colonel of the Forty-first regular infantry, from which he was transferred
{to the Twenty-fourth infantry in 1869 on the reduction of the army to a peace footing. He became colonel of the First
infantry March 4, 1879, which position he held until he was mado brigadier general, May 26, 1897. During this long
period as a regimental commander General Shafter won a most cuviablo reputation, his regiment being famed through
font the entire army for its efficiency, drill and discipline. It was often said that Shafter's was "the best regiment in
lthe army." An officer who returned from Germany in ISO'.', after a year spent in observation of tho army of that
country, said that Shafter's First infantry was the only American regiment whioh reached the German standard.
J Nearly all of these 18 years the regiment spent on tho Pacific coxst, boing stationed at the Presidio until its departure
ifor New Orleans, and after his promotion last year General Shafter was given command of the department of Califor?
nia. Judged Dy this record, there is every reason to believe that ho has in him tha making of a successful commander
and an able leader. He will be 63 years old on Oct. 16 of this year.
ly interested in his conviction.'
CRUEL PUNISHMENT FOR TRIVIAL OF
KENeES.
Although innocent, as was known by
some, that man was "sentenced to this
horrible chain-gang for life." This
same committee was composed of some
of Georgia's best citizens, declared
that "poor colored con vieta were ser\
ing life sentences for stealing ene mac?
kerel and simihar offenses." During
tbe official investigation in 1896 it was
found that many colored men were
"sent to the penitentiary for practical?
ly their lives for having a fight or diffi?
culty." A white minister of Georgia
told me there were hundreds of inno?
cent men in the ahain-gangs there,
WORDS INADEQUATE.
I might say much, very much more,
but words are inadequate to express
indignation. Neither tongue nor pen
cad give a true picture of a southern
chain-gang as it exists in some of the
states.
In the still hours of the night I lift
up my heart to God and ask Him to en?
able me to present these horrid truths
in such a way that they will burn into
the hearts of the people,people who are
saying "the Negro criminal cannot be
reformed" Who made him a crimi?
nal ? Who placed him in one of these
"schools of crime" where he by his
training becomes ten times more the
child of hell than he possibly could be
out of it ?
THE WOMEN'S CONDITION.
We talk about old time slavery that
existed before the war. when a woman
with one drop of Negro blood in her
veins oould not possess her own child
to whom she had given birth?no, nor
even her own body. Neither her beau -
ty and refinement nor her ignorance
snd helplessness saved her 'rom tbe
auction block. But bad assUvery was
then, there is a worse slavery to-day.
SPANIARDS NOT SO ORUBL.
Our hearts are melted with pity for
the poor reconcentrados but I have
sever read of anything quite so cruel
of Spaniards aa the barbarities prac?
ticed on the Negro convicts in Arkan
iss. I have never read of three score
re oncentrados having been murdered
and then buried in a mud hole.
I believe the present war tobe just
but could rot the Spaniards say to this
nation with consistency, "Physician
heal thyself 1"
Clarissa Olds Keeler,
July 15. 1898, Washington, D.C.
PLANET LODGE Is SUSPEISED.
Planet Lodge, No. 23, held its regu?
lar Convention last Mondav evening in
its Castle Hall. An exceedingly heavy
attendance was the feature of the even?
ing. Among the visitors present we
noted Maj. J. H Brice, Chaplain of the
Virginia Brigade, Uniform Rank; ?uol.
Augustus Taylor, Ass't Quartermaster
General and Col. Jesse Scruggs, Com
misary General of tbe same ; Sir Fos?
ter Lucas, Chancellor Commander of
Blooming Lily Lodge, No. 15; Sir W.
Van Jackson, Chancellor Commander
of Unity Lodge, No. 24 -, Sir Willis Wy?
att, Chancellor Commander of Royal
Lodge, No. 26; Sir J 0. Farley. Chan?
cellor Commander of Richmond Lodge,
No. 1; Sir John Bland, of Unity L. dge,
No. 24.
After the regular routine of business
had baan completed, Grand Chancellor
John Mitchell, Jr., assisted by Chan?
cellor Commander Foster Lucas
of Blooming Lily and Sir Samuel Clay
of Planet Lodge proclaimed the Lodge
open in Knightly and Chivalric Form
and installed the officers for the ensu?
ing term as follows:
M. of W., W. A. Kyles; C. 0., John
T.Taylor J V. C., CM Bowler; Pre?
late, J. A. Smith ; M. of Ex., James L.
Burrell; M. of F., T. M. Crump; K. of
R. and 8.. T. W. Mitchell; M. at A., H.
Eugene Richardson ; I. G., Joshua ll.
Griffin ; O. G., Milius Jones; Attend?
ants, Samuel Clay. Wm. Pierson, Lew?
is Parrish, George Manning.
Grand Master at Arms, .lesie Scruggs
declared the officers installed. Short
addresses were indulged in by several
of the visitors, Maj. J. H. Brice wind?
ing up the procession ia one of his hap*
py speeches.
The lodge adjourned and as the Sir
Knights were retiring, they were met
by an array of ths fair sex and invited
to the spacious supper room where
a genuine surprise awaited them in tne
shape of a heavily ladened table, where
delicacies of the season were in abun?
dance.
This surprise was led on Planet
Lodge. No 23 by the efforts of Planet
Court of Calanthe. aided by a few la?
dies of Sylvia, Unity and -Martha's
Courts and other female friends.
The thanks of the Lodge was tender?
ed the Planet Court by Sir W. H. Wal?
ton. Enjoyment reigned supreme un?
til a late hour, at which time the gal?
lant Knights could be seen escorting
the fair Calanthes to their several
homes. The entertainment was ad?
mirably planned and executed by Mes?
dames Sylvia L. Mitchell, Missouri
Jones and Miss Bettie Dobson with
able assistants.
THE LAST OF OUR SOLDIERS.
The last of the colored companies of
this city have been mustered into ser?
vices. Co. C left Friday afternoon,
15th instant, for ('amp Johnson at Pop?
lar Springs. Owing to a recent se?
vere illness Capt. W. S. Cowan failed
to pass the medical examination.
Lieut. Benjamin A. Graves was
elected to tbe vacancy. The company
left with 105 men. Recruits were
brought in from Roanoke, Lynchburg
and Fredericksburg.
The examination of the Second Bat?
talion is now taking place at Peters?
burg, Va,
One company reached camp this
week. Major J. B. Johnson was to
have beer, mustered in this week. He
assumed charge of the camp.
B. F. Turner enlisted as commissary
sergeant of (o. 0, and George Stephens,
Jr., as commissary sergeant of Co. B.
Joseph Barnes, the father of Pokey
Barnes, enlisted in Co. A.
S. J. Gilpin is second lieutenant of
Co. B. He has been appointed acting
adjutant of the battalion.
?We direct attention to the ad?
vertisement of Biddle University. It.
is doing a grand work and should bel
patronized. ?
CCBAN ETONTERY.
They Expected to Obtain Control
of Santiago de Cuba.
THE CAPTURE OF POETO EIOO.
General Mlle* LsSbBS thu Army or In?
vadion *Whicli "Will Be Quickly For?
warded to iSualn's Easternmost Weat
India leland.
Washington, July 20.?War depart?
ment officials feel that they are fully
Justified In their decision to retain
practically all of Shafter's army at
Santiago by the press reports that have
reached them Indicating the growth of
serious friction between the American
forces and the Cuban troops, growing
out of the latter's exclusion from San?
tiago by General Shafter's orders. The
trouble arises over the naming by Gen?
eral Garcia of a Cuban named Castillo
as governor of Santiago de Cuba. The
situation has now reached a point when
there ie practically no communication
at all between the two armies, and
their relations border on those of hos?
tility, rather than the relations which
one would suppose would exist between
allies.
The Cubans had confidently counted
upon having Santiago turned over to
them to loot and plunder, aa they had
in succession sacked Daiquiri. Siboney
and El Caney. Consequently their disap?
pointment was keen when they ascer?
tained that they were not to be per?
mitted to take possession of the citv
upon General Torsi's surrender. On
Friday last Castillo, who is a brother
of General Demetrius Castillo, went to
General Shafter's headquarters in order
to ascertain the cause of this, to the
Cubans, inexplicable resolution.
"Why ls Santiago to remain in ths
hands of our enemies?" he asked.
"The Spaniards are not our enemies,"
replied General Shafter. "We are fight?
ing the soldiers of Spain, but we have
no desire to despoil her citizens. No
Cuban will be allowed to enter the city,
nor will any American soldier. The
government of the city is a matter for
the people to decide. When the Ameri?
cans leave lt. I presume it will be
turned over to you, but not until then."
Castillo, who came direct from Gen?
eral Garcia's camp, did not attempt to
conceal his chagrin.
The Cuban soldiers now fully rea?
lize that there is a rising sentiment
against them in the American army.
They hear nothing but words of scorn
from our men as they pass onward,
lugging their bacon and hardtack into
the woods. Even our officers no longer
conceal their disgust for their allies,
and it is understood that the warm
friendship displayed toward them at
first has now turned Into contempt, for
the Cubans have neither fought nor
worked.
It ls realized that the present situa?
tion is full of difficulty, and the future
ls dark, owing to the disposition evi?
denced by the Cubans to ignore or re?
fuse to be bound by the amenities of
modern warfare. This first symptom
of friction has suggested to the officials
Innumerable difficulties that will arlsa
In the future. Of course it would seem
to be only politic now to avoid any
open rupture wtth the Cubans, provided
they can be kept In check, and not In?
volve the United States in the disgrace
that would follow the sacking of help?
less communities, hut it begins to ap?
pear that for some time to come, and
even after the conquest of Cuba ls com?
plete, the United States must maintain
there a military government in order to
meet the responsibilities which it has
assumed to the civilized world.
Because of a failure on the part of
General Miles to receive the orders the
president prepared late Monday to take
cemmand of the military expedition
against Porto Rico, that officer did not
depart, as was reported from Siboney.
The mistake was soon corrected yes?
terday, however, and as a result of
some short telegraphic correspondence
that followed during the day it was
gathered at the department that the
Yale Would start last night. Contrary
to the flrnst intention, and probably
without General Miles' seeking, the
Tale ls to be convoyed by a naval ves?
sel that Admiral Sampson has been In?
structed to select from among the ves?
sels of his fleet. This may result in de?
laying General Miles' progress some?
what, as none of the vessels with Samp?
son is able to keep pace with the Yale.
Nevertheless thfro is no doubt that the
general will reach Porto Rico before
the detachment of ireops from Charles?
ton, e
Tha purpose of Secretary Alger ls to
make the Porto Rican campaign a
short one. An overwhelming force will
be thrown upon the Island, and lt ls
possible that a bloodless victory will be
achieved when the Spanish become
convinced that they have no reasonable
chance to resist successfully. The ex?
pedition ls to comprise 30,000 men at
the start, and lt will bs soon swelled
to 40,000 men, and if necessary to 60.
000 men. th* equipment of th* volun?
teer forces having now progressed so
wall aa to warrant the statement that
tha number ef men can be ready for
service In Port* Rice within a very
short timm. Th* Invading army will
doubtless Include th* Sixteenth. Third
and Fourth Pennsylvania, th* Fifth
Maryland and th* Second N*w York
regimen ta . ? , - ?- _
THE PRESIDENT MOVING. *____
[San Francisco, Cal.. Western Out?
look.)
Among the recommendation! of
r" resident McKinley to Congress las*
week was the following: "Wm. Wash?
ington, First Sergeant Troop F, Ninth;
Cavalry, ard John C. Proctor, First
Sergeant, Troop A, Ninth Cevalry. to
the Second Lieutenants." This is s>
new depar ure ard the first time color
ed troopers have been so recognized,
lt is an entering wedge and if the pres
ent struggle be of long-duration lome
of the army barriers that prejudice
places in tne way of the Negro will bm
very badly disfigured.
PEBSOHALB AND BBIEfg. CJC
-Miss Vera Holmes is now in New
York.
-For well-made snits at low prices?
calf on Mr. (Louis Ruth. See adver?
tisement.
-Second Lieutenant Gilpin is act?
ing adjutant of the battalion at Camp
Corbin.
-Mr. C. G. Jurgeu s Son carrie*
fine furniture and sells on terms to
suit, See advertisement.
-It wes a sad affair, but Funeral
Director Price g?ve complete satisfac?
tion. His livery is strictly first-class.
too.
-The cave-in on Fifth St., near
Baker ia a large one. The workmen
will excavate to a depth of 50 feet. The
residence of Mr. Walter Peyton is dana
aged in the raar portion.
-Mr. Thomas G. Leath, the man
fcger has prepared separate accommo?
dation at the Vaudeville shows at tbe
Exposition Grounds for oolored folks.
-Mrs. James H Terrell and her
attractive daughter, Miss Matti* M
G., are visiting friends in Norfolk, Va.
-A pretty dance was given mt
Price's Hall last Wednesday night in
honor of Miss Ju'ia De do am of Boston,
Maes., who is the guest of the Misses.
Lissie and Emma Evans.
-Mrs M. A. Cross is attending the
Summer Normal at Hampton, Va
-Miss Rosa Moody will leave next
week for Hampton, Va., where shs will
spend the summer.
-Mrs. Mary Haskins of New Yoi*.
is the guest of her mother, Mi-ax.
Stokes in North 3rd St.
-Mr. Charles Harris, sexton o
Good Sheppard, will leave next week
to visit Mr. CoJgan, at Blackstone.
Nottaway Co., Va.
-Prof A. J. De Hart of Cincin?
nati and Prof. S. R. Singer of Coving?
ton. Ky., called on at.
-Mrs Joseph Lonza and sister,
Miss Irene Bacon of Philadelphia, ie
now in this citv, visiting their father
and mothar, Mr. and Mrs. George Baa
con, P04 North 8th St.
-Mrs. J. M. Christian and children
left Wednesday the 20th inst., for
Louisa to spend the summer.
-Miss Annie M. Jackson is spend?
ing the summer in Louisa Co., Va.
-Miss Lena V. Isham left the city
for Cumberland County. She accom?
panied Miss Lucy A. Trent, who has
b->en visiting the Mits Ishams of thia
city.
-Mr.F. A. French (white) who
was charged with being one of the*
"grandest rascals*' in the city, whian.
charges in the opinion of the Commit?
tee on Cemetaries were not sustained
was unanimously re-elected keeper off
River View Cemetary.
-Oh, yes, Dr. Ramsey will fix
your teeth. He ie very skillful and
gives satisfaction. See advertisement.
-The Fourth Street sewer has
broken again, and the residents be?
tween Jackson and Duval {with tearful
eyes i^ait the action of the in reim?
bursing them again.
-Attorney M. F. Maury will serve
you on legal matters. He is thorough?
ly posted. See advertisement.
-Three cows belonging to Seaton
A Blanton were killed by lightning on
Tuesday, 19th inst.
-Nelson's Improved Straightnine
givt a entire satisfaction. 8ee adver?
tisement.
-The position held by Dr. H. !?.
Harris as surgeon of the First Battal?
ion, rank of Captain, is now filled b_r
Dr. Black (white). Dr. Harris resign?
ed and Dr. E. R. Jefferson failed to
pass a physical examination.
The position of quartermaster, rank
of lieutenant, which Mr. Wm. Isaac.
Johnson resigned was al jo given to *-.
white officer.
-Mr. W. Edward Miller, formerly
of this city, but now of Baltimore, Md.
is ia the city stopping with his aunt,
Mrs. Jsne Wilson, 211 E. Baker Street.
He is looking well.
-Mrs. N. A. R. Leslie of Musko
gee, Indian Territory, is visiting rela?
tives and friends in Virginia. She lett
Wednesday,-0th inst., to visit rela?
tives in Petersburg and vicinity, bot
will return in about two weeks to the
residence of her sister, Mrs. 8. IX
Jones, 615 Judah St.. where she will be
pleased to see her friends.
-Mrs. 8. D. Jones of 615 Judah
Street has returned from a visit to hex
ion in Boston, Mass.
-Mrs. Rev. J. W. Boy kin, nee
Dora Sandridge, of Camden, S. C., is in
(he city the guest of Mr. H. F. Jona>
?han, 786 N. 6th St.
-Rev. W. 8. Holland, pastor of toe
Ebenezer Baptist Church of Provi?
lenee, R. I., called on us. He was ae~
sompanied by his bride during his trip
md left for Franklin, Va , last Wednetv
lay.